Tiger shares Tour Championship lead in Atlanta

Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Tiger Woods posted a 4-under 66 on Thursday to share the first-round lead of the Tour Championship with Justin Rose at East Lake Golf Club.

This is the final event of the Playoffs and Woods is second in FedExCup Playoff points. Anyone in the top five heading into this week can win the Cup with a victory at the Tour Championship.

Woods already won the FedExCup twice, but on Thursday, he bested his newest rival.

Looking more like buddies playing a weekend round together, Woods and Rory McIlroy, who leads the points race thanks to back-to-back wins at the Deutsche Bank Championship and BMW Championship, played in the final pairing based on their standings in the race.

On Thursday, Woods bested McIlroy by three shots.

Rose is a distant 24th in the points race, but he can take solace in what happened last year.

Ranked 25th at the start of the week, Bill Haas won the Tour Championship, then, after a confluence of events and finishes, he walked off with $10 million and the FedExCup.

"From the FedExCup point of view, it's a position of having nothing to lose, really. Obviously, I'd like to be much higher up the rankings," said Rose.

Scott Piercy had the longest odds to win the FedExCup this week. He showed up Thursday in 30th, but he carded a 3-under 67 and is tied for third with Bo Van Pelt, Matt Kuchar and Steve Stricker.

Hunter Mahan, who lost a playoff to Haas last year, Adam Scott, Robert Garrigus, Zach Johnson and Brandt Snedeker, who is fifth in the standings, and therefore, controls his destiny this week, are knotted in seventh at 2-under 68.

Phil Mickelson is fourth in the race for the FedExCup and shot a 1-under 69 to join McIlroy and many others in a tie for 12th.

Nick Watney is the last player in the top five by virtue of his win at The Barclays. Watney struggled to a 5-over 75 and is dead last in the field of 30.